Drafting

jayloo, there are plenty of good routes parallel to the Roman road that mean you have to do neither--you just have to learn the lie of the land a bit. Do you have the Central London Cycle Guide published by TfL? That'll show you a lot of easier and quicker routes through this area, e.g. Marble Arch to the British Museum. Park Lane-Piccadilly-Shaftesbury Avenue is a massive detour.

Ah, well, I only was going to take that loop b/c that's the best way I'd seen to get the the 7 Dials the week before and then noticed how close to one the other was.

I don't know what we have, exactly, we have like, 15 area cycling maps, is that anything like what you're talking about? I don't mind muddling about a little bit in the beginning b/c I see a lot of London and I also get to make connections about where things are that I wouldn't if I just took the most direct route possible. That being said, I wouldn't mind having the ability to shave a mile off my route now and then! I knew there had to be a better way than going down Oxford Road, it's horrible!